Once a Warbler
by Seren McGowan
Summary: The Warblers need to regroup, take a step backwards, and remember that "Once a Warbler, always a Warbler" sitll stands.
1. Chapter 1

_**Notes:** The Warblers deserved to win._

* * *

_Foolish one with the smile_

_You don't have to be brave_

_I'll gladly climb your walls_

_If you'll meet me halfway_

* * *

"I'm going to tell you what I think, and you can pretend I'm not right if you want."

Nick remains silent for a moment, staring at the screen before him, but it's impossible to know wether Wes is being serious or just pissed and patronizing.

"Go ahead." He says finally.

Wes takes deep breath and closes his eyes for a second, like he always did when he was about to start a rant about how they needed to coordinate more, or how he and Jeff needed to stop fooling around and focus, or...He forces himself to stop thinking about these things because Wes is at the other side of a computer screen and it's painfully obvious that that's where he's going to stay.

"The way I see it" The former Warbler starts. "You had this two great weapons. With Sebastian's charm and Hunter's discipline you could have won nationals with little to no effort, but you just..." He pauses, looks around his dorm room as if searching the walls for the right words. "Those two, they're like a current of water, and instead of showing them the course to follow, you let them drag you straight to the waterfall. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Nick wishes he could say that he doesn't, that the other Warblers are not to blame -that he's not to blame, that it was all Hunter and Sebastian's fault, but he finds himself nodding nonetheless.

"I understand...I guess we just...With Blaine leaving and you and David going off to college and all the changes and...we just lost our balance."

Wes's gaze softens and he leans forward, until it seems like he's at arm's reach (only he's not)

"You are a good leader, Nick, you have empathy, and good intentions, if you call them, they'll follow you."

Nick scoffs.

¨Not Sebastian nor Hunter."

"Specially Sebastian and Hunter. Most of the time, you should know, those who seem to know exactly where they're going are the ones who have no idea where they are, and you can't know where you're going if you don't know where you are."

"You always knew where you were going, we could always follow you and know you'd take us to the right place."

Wes laughs the kind of laugh of someone who knows something you don't.

"I never knew where I was going, Nicky, I was just unafraid because I knew you'd follow, and wherever it was, I wouldn't go there alone."

They stay in silence, and the seconds drip from the walls and melt to the floor, and something inside Nick twists and stretches like it's waking from a long nap, and at that very second, he understands.

"It's not about knowing where you go, you see. It's about knowing that you won't go alone."

It has been as simple as that all along.

.

The clapping echoes in the empty auditorium. Eyes closed, Blaine relished in the sound, allows himself to be back on the stage where he was the star of the show, and the familiar feeling of power washes over him like a steam of hot, welcoming water.

Then the voice rises, and the water turns ice cold.

"I have to admit, you're not half bad when you're not dancing in the background of your talentless friends."

Blaine sighs and opens his eyes to glare at the newcomer.

"What do you want, Sebastian?"

Sebastian shrugs and smiles slightly, and Blaine -even though he's not paying attention, notices that there's something weird in the way he smiles.

"Just came to congratulate you, the whole thing you did to get us kicked off the competition...not even I could have done it better." And somehow that doesn't seem like a compliment at all.

"I didn't do anything." Blaine tries to sound as nonchalant as possible, as he busies himself with picking up his stuff from the corner where he left it. "You were the ones who cheated by taking steroids."

There's silence for a moment, and when Blaine begins to think that he's gone, Sebastian's voice comes back, soft and raw and full of something he can't quite catch.

"Some of us didn't. I didn't." And he says that last part like it's very important, like he needs Blaine to know.

Blaine straightens and turns around to look at him then, and it strikes him like the fist time, just how unfairly beautiful he is, but there's something more there now, in his eyes, at the corners of his mouth, in the way he has his hands clenched to fists at his sides.

"Do you expect me to believe you?" He asks, almost angry.

Sebastian just lets out a soft, humorless laugh.

"I'm past caring about what you believe or not. But this...I worked my ass off for this." His voice rises just a notch, and his eyes bore into Blaine, filled with resentment. "And I was amazing. It doesn't matter how hard you try to convince yourself that you lost because we cheated, the truth is that you lost because your song selection was a joke, your dancing skills inexistent, and your little group of special ed kids had zero to no chemistry on stage."

Blaine remains silent, eyes fixed on his feet, ad he feels Sebastian's words pool over him, sticking to his bones like honey.

"The reason Trent was kicked off the team was not because he refused to take the steroids, it was because he couldn't keep up, with or without them." He goes quiet for a second, and when Blaine raises his eyes to look at him, his eyes are shinning with pride, the most beautiful shade of green. "I was amazing, I know I was, it was the last chance I had to prove that I could do it, that I could be the good guy and do things the right way, and I did. Whatever you do, you'll never be able to take that away."

A car honks from the outside, and Sebastian turns to the door, then back at Blaine.

"I just wanted you to know."

Blaine watches his retreating figure, tall and lean, head held high, step sure and strong, and he sees for the first time what the real-truthful, proud Sebastian looks like -and it's the most breathtaking thing he's ever seen.

It hits him then, like a frying pan smashed right on his face. Sebastian was telling the truth.

He jumps off the stage and runs to the door, almost twisting his wrists with the force with witch he pushes them opens it, and there, outside in the parking lot, under the blinding sun, Sebastian's standing by a car, hand on the handle, and peaking from the window, he can make out the purple, bloodied and bruised face of Hunter Clarington.

.

"This might be the last time I sit on this bed."

Neither are very sentimental people, but the silence between them stretches a little too long for it to not feel nostalgic.

Sebastian, seated at the edge of his own bed, raises his gaze from the floor and looks at Hunter. He parts his lips to say something, anything, but it's surprisingly difficult to find the right words, like he's still scared that if he says what he wants to say, Hunter might run off. It doesn't really matter all that much anymore, because he is running of anyway -and the empty feeling that though brings is as foreign as it is scary.

"Fuck. There are so many things I wanted to tell you." Hunter takes a deep breath and passes a hand though his hair.

Sebastian stares at him, and suddenly, for just a second, he thinks that maybe Hunter knows, maybe he understands, maybe, just maybe...

"We don't need to talk." Sebastian murmurs, as Hunter looks at him. "This might be the last time we spend as roommates, so..."

"Sebastian." Hunter cuts him off, standing up and walking up to stand directly in front of him. "I really need you to know. I'm just...you know, I'm not good with words."

Sebastian tills his head up, and Hunter's looking down at him, eyes shinning with something so intense and so pure, something that Hunter himself doesn't seem to understand, but Sebastian recognizes instantly.

He grabs Hunter's hand and pulls him down, until he's straddling him, and their lips collide with the force of a waterfall, and their mouths move together like they've been doing this forever, like their eyes have shared this kisses long before their lips even said each other's names.

Hunter is all brute force and rough shoves and hard muscle, and Sebastian tries to grab onto anything he can, Hunter's hair, his arms, his neck. He leans back until the other boy is on top of him, all over him, hands everywhere, lips everywhere, and then the most amazing sound comes out of Hunter's mouth and almost sends Sebastian over de edge.

"God Hunt, I..."

"Don't, don't, just..."

They kiss the words away, and Hunter runs his tongue over every inch of Sebastian's skin, tracing patterns and writing down everything he's not brave enough to say, using the kind of ink that never fades, and murmuring silent promises they both know are meant only for this night, and will be forgotten tomorrow.

.

"I assume you know why you're here, mister Clarington."

Hunter nods curtly, keeping his head high and his back straight.

"Then you'll understand why I'm not going to try to sugar coat this conversation. The thing is, that this...incident, will be the first permanent stain on Dalton Academy's otherwise perfect image. The board members were furious, as you can imagine, and the word expulsion was considered one or twice."

A fear he didn't know he felt settles in the pitch of Hunter's stomach then. The fact that he might have to leave Dalton becomes something real, almost tangible, and he can see the path to Colorado Springs wrapping around him like a snake.

He tries to breath, but he's suddenly out of air, and it seems like his lungs have forgotten how to work, and he's left there with his mouth slightly open, trying to breath without air.

"Do you understand the gravity of what you've done, Hunter?"

"Yes." he exhales.

"You came to Dalton because we needed you, but, as it turns out, it was you who needed us. You have to know that Dalton has never, and will never turn it's back on a student who needs it."

Hunter closes his eyes for a second, manages to suck in enough air to choke an answer.

"No one wants me here anymore."

Saying it out loud is way worse tan just thinking it.

Headmaster Wells's gaze softens, and he leans forward, placing both hands over the desk.

"That only proves that you're not ready to leave, for you've learnt nothing." He grabs a plain white envelope from a corner on the table and places it before Hunter. "This letter arrived the morning when the board was evaluating your case. It is two pages long."

Hunter's eyes are locked on the thin white envelope, and he has to use all his strength to keep himself from opening it.

"What does it say?" He asks, voice raw and broken.

"It enumerates all the reasons why Hunter Clarington should not be expelled from Dalton Academy, as well as your many good attributes as a human being, and all the potential you have to become a great man, if given the chance." He makes a pause, studies the incredulous look on Hunter's face, and smiles softly. "It's signed by the Dalton Academy Warblers."

And there, just like that, his lungs remember how to function, and he takes a deep breath, and everything falls into place.

"It appears, Hunter, that Dalton's not ready to let you go."

"I'm not ready to leave."

It's all very complicated, but just for now, it's as simple as that.


	2. A brand new start is all we need

******Notes:**_ I'm very, very sorry fpr the delay. Life's been crazy latelym but now I'm back in the game, and I promise that next chapters will be more intense, and will come faster. Also, huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and alerted the story. You guys rock!_

* * *

******2. A brand new start is all we need**

* * *

The only thing that Hunter can think of when he steps out of Headmaster Well's office is that he's _here_. He is _here _and this is where he's going to stay, and everything else just doesn't matter all that much.

He walks through the elegantly decorated corridors and all he sees is red and blue and velvet. The colors seem brighter, and the polished wood smells stronger, and everything seems bigger and more luminous, and as he approaches his destination he wonders why he never noticed this things before.

It's not until he's standing in front of his dorm room that the realization hits him like a bucket of scalding water. He's staying. He's staying. This is still his room, that was not the last time that he'd sit on that bed, that was not the last night that he and Sebastian would have as room mates, that was not... And there it is, he _is _staying. He slept with Sebastian because that was the last chance they had and suddenly...suddenly it's not.

He has never been more scared of anything in his whole life.

He sits there on his desk chair and stares at the sleeping form on the bed. Sebastian hasn't moved since he left this morning, he's sprawled on the bed, sheets tossed and crumpled at his feet, pillows scattered on the floor. The image is a vivid reminder of last night, every second of it is written on Sebastian's skin; love bites, bruises, hickeys, the peaceful smile curving his thin lips. It's written on Hunter, too, for sure, but he's realizing just now how much he wishes it wasn't. You cannot erase what's written in the flesh, once written, stays written -once a Warbler, always a Warbler.

Fear and anger wash over him like electric bolts. Sebastian knew, of course he knew, there's nothing that Sebastian doesn't know, and the real meaning of it is that Hunter got tricked, his whole future is now screwed, while the other boy sleeps with the peace of those who got what they wanted.

He tries to breathe to keep calm, but the second he inhales, Sebastian breathes in, too, and his eyes flutter open, green and fogged by sleep, and they search the room until they land on Hunter.

"You're here." He murmurs, and he seems so truthfully relieved, that it only serves to infuriate Hunter even more.

"You would know." Hunter answers through gritted teeth.

Sebastian seems to catch up almost instantly, and it fills Hunter with a twisted, unwanted kind of pride, the fact that Sebastian's mind seems to work just as fast as his.

"Hunt, I didn't know..." Sebastian begins, sitting up, eyes instantly searching Hunter's.

"Like hell you didn't know." Hunter answers, glaring at the other boy "The letter was signed by the fucking Warblers. Don't you dare tell me you didn't..."

"I knew about the letter." Sebastian cuts him off "I didn't know it would work, I didn't want to..."

"Why didn't you tell me then?" Hunter's voice rises, his eyes grow darker, his knuckles start to shake. "If you knew, you should have told me, that's what friends do, Sebastian. Or you just wanted an excuse to get into my pants? Was it that? That's low, even for you."

Maybe he didn't punch him, but by the look in the other boy's eyes, he might as well have.

"You know, fuck you!" Sebastian snarls, standing up and starting to get dressed, without looking at Hunter. "Fuck you and fuck everything. This is what I get for caring, do you think that it was fun for me, thinking that I wouldn't see you again? Do you think I enjoyed knowing that maybe all hope was in vain? That the letter would change nothing?" He turns to look at Hunter then, eyes greener than ever, sadder than ever. "Did you think I enjoyed knowing that you only fucked me because you thought you'd never see me again? Well, good news, not-even-remotely-bi-curious Clarington, you got your wish. As far as I'm concerned, you're gone."

He slams the door when he leaves, and Hunter's left sitting there, feeling how slowly all the anger peels away from him like burning flesh, and is replaced by something much deeper, and much hurtful.

He might have just screwed everything up. Again.

.

"Well, Warblers, I assume you're all wondering why I called you all here today, given that our season is over." Headmaster Wells eyes the group of teens, and can't help but notice the absence of Hunter Clarington. "Apparently, someone at the National Showchoir Committee has decided that the Warblers have more talent than the average showchoir team, and that you have earned, despite the incident, the right to compete. Now, this person has moved heaven and earth to give you this chance, so I trust that you will understand and give it the importance it deserves."

The Warblers remain silent, staring baffled at each other, and then back at the old man standing before them. It's Jeff, eventually, who breaks the silence.

"We're back in the game, people!"

The room bursts into cheers and laughter, and while everyone starts talking at the same time, Nick approaches the Headmaster with curious eyes.

"May I ask, sir, who is this person?"

"You will know when the time comes. For now, I trust you, mister Duval, to get your team back together and prove to everyone that being a Warbler still means the same."

"I will, sir. And, please, tell whoever it is that we are very grateful, and we won't disappoint."

The old man smiles and nods, backing away.

"I'll let her know."

He closes the door behind him, and Nick's left standing at the head of a room filled with ecstatic Warblers, and no idea what to do.

"Hey, Nicky, don't panic, you look like you've seen a ghost."

And that's really all Nick sees; a huge, smokey ghost that spreads between them like fog.

"What are we going to do?" He asks, suddenly terrified.

Jeff lays a hand on his forearm and smiles slightly, and he has that kind of smile that makes it possible to believe that everything's going to turn out right.

"What do you think we should do?"

"I don't know. How should I know? We can't screw this up. Who's going to sing lead? I don't know what songs to choose..."

"Wanna know what I think?"

Nick swallows hard, and nods.

"I think it's going to be awesome, and we're going to be fine, better than ever. Because, you know? My vote has always been for you."

"Even with Blaine?"

Jeff smile and squeezes his arm.

"Even with Blaine."

Nick doesn't really know if it's Jef's smile, or his blind trust, or a combination of both, but, suddenly, he knows exactly what he wants to do.

"Okay guys!" He calls out "Let's start from the beginning..."

.

There was a second, last night, when he though that he would never come back here. It was a stupid thing to think, really, for someone like him.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

"Make better use of your money and buy yourself a life."

It has been a long time since he last was so mean to someone. He realizes with bitterness that it's not as fun as it used to be.

"Can I buy you a drink, or should I buy myself a life too?"

"Your money would be better spent on a stylist."

Blaine simply laughs and sits beside him.

"I thought I'd find you here."

"I'm surprised you didn't turn to ashes at the doorway." He doesn't even try to look away from his drink.

"I've been calling you."

"And I've been ignoring your calls."

"What happened to Hunter?"

Sebastian doesn't really want to talk about Hunter.

"His father didn't react very well to the whole steroids scandal. They lose their temper easily, you see, Hunter and his father."

"...Is he ok?"

Sebastian scoffs.

"Why do you care? Your cotton candy mind can't take the guilt all of a sudden?"

Blaine remains silent for a moment, and when Sebastian looks at him, he's staring straight at a shot glass filled with green liquid.

"It must be really bad if you're considering absinth as an option."

Blaine laughs, a humorless, bitter laugh, much like Sebastian's.

"I've been making lots of mistakes lately."

Sebastian clicks his glass with his and smirks.

"I'll drink to that."

"I'm sorry." Blaine blurts out suddenly, without raising his eyes. "I really am sorry."

And Sebastian knows he's telling the truth, because Blaine is one of those people who are good enough to feel sorry for something that wasn't entirely their fault.

"Drink on it, Anderson, ad maybe tomorrow it'll be another day."

"You have really changed, Sebastian. I know that what I think doesn't really matter anymore, but I really think that you've changed for the better."

"Do you believe in karma?" Sebastian asks, abruptly. "I think that karma is making me pay, for all those people I screwed over."

Blaine looks at him and smiles slightly.

"All we need is a fresh start, to right all the wrongs." He raises his glass to Sebastian. "I'll drink to that."


	3. Before we lost hope

******Notes:**_ thank you so much for the awesome reviews, the make my day and keep the muses working so I can update faster. Next chapter will be up sooner, promise! I hope you catch the references to The dead poet´s society, and how much they suit the Warblers._

* * *

******3. Before we lost hope**

* * *

"Okay, Warblers, it's time to regroup."

The boys scattered around the room all stare at him, giving him their full attention, and Nick begins to feel the nervousness rise and his voice start to tremble.

"I know some of you are still waiting for Blaine to show up and fix all this mess we've gotten ourselves into, but that's not going to happen. He didn't leave because we weren't good enough, him leaving, it had nothing to do with us, and I need you to understand this before we can move forward."

He takes a deep breath. There's a look of understanding in the Warbler's eyes, but no one says anything, so Nick continues, voice growing steadier with each word.

"There won't be a lead singer this time, we'll all get the chance to sing, because depending on one person alone was our first mistake." He walks around the room until he's in the middle, and sits down on the carpeted floor. "Okay, come, sit, we're going to introduce ourselves to the group, for the second-first time, and we'll move on from there."

"This is ridiculous." Sebastian mutters, as he sits cross-legged next to Thad.

"I think it might work, it's like an initiation to a secret society, right?"

Jeff jumps to the centre of the circle and clears his throat.

"_I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life! To put to rout all that was not life, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived..._"

Silence stretches among the boys like a blanket, and Jeff sits down solemnly, unfazed by the looks of confusion thrown his way.

"What Jeff means..." Starts nick, unsure. "...Is that we need to remember why we came here in the first place, what being a Warbler meant." The boys nod, but no one makes a move to start, so Nick sighs and breathes deep. "I joined the Warblers because I was lost, and all the roads seemed to lead me here, until this became the only place where I could find me."

There's a small pause before the next boy speaks, and then the next, and then Thad whispers.

"I joined the Warblers because I was tired of being alone."

Sebastian hears his voice even before he realizes he's speaking.

"I joined the Warblers because I was tired of feeling that I wasn't worth shit."

They could judge him, of course. They could laugh and say he's being dramatic, that they're all exaggerating too much. Others would, but the Warblers would never.

"I joined the Warblers because I was scared." Says Jeff. "The day I joined was the day I stopped thinking about all the things that could go wrong."

All eyes land on Hunter, and he raises his eyes and looks at them one by one, dropping his gaze to the floor the moment it reaches Sebastian.

"I joined the Warblers for all the wrong reasons...and I apologize. I didn't understand what being a Warbler meant until the moment that I saw that letter." He takes a deep breath, and he seems somewhat softer, the strongest kind, like all his hard edges had been smoothed. "I joined the Warblers for all the wrong reasons, but I stay because here, with you, is the only place where I don't feel angry all the time."

"Apology accepted!" Chirps Jeff. "Who agrees?"

They all agree, because that's how the Warblers are, they forgive and forget and move forward as a unit, and Hunter became part of that unit the moment he buttoned up the blazer for the first time.

"So now that you all remember why you joined, what do you say if we start moving forward?"

Nick stands up, and the Warblers follow.

It's a good place to start moving forward, Hunter thinks.

.

"I slept with Kurt last Friday."

Sebastian rolls his eyes and raises his glass to welcome Blaine.

"Hey, hi to you too, killer, long time no see and all that crap."

"He acted like it didn't matter, like I wasn't even there." Blaine ignores the look in the other boy's eyes and sits down on the stool beside him. "He acted like he didn't care. How is that possible? How could he not care?"

Sebastian sighs and drinks what's left of his vodka in one go, signaling the bartender to bring two more.

"He wanted to keep it casual, no strings, and the way he looked at me...like he couldn't even see me, like I wasn't his soulmate, like..."

"For fuck's sake, Blaine, what the fuck are you saying?" Blaine looks at him with a mix of pain and confusion and Sebastian has to use all the willpower he has not to succumb to his kicked puppy look. "Do you realize that you just used the word _soulmate_ to refer to your high school sweetheart, who forgot you the moment he got an escape route out of this filthy town, and is probably humping some European, nerdy dancer with an accent?"

Looking at Blaine's face, Sebastian realizes that this is probably how you feel when you tell a child that Santa Clause doesn't exist.

"How can you say that?" Blaine whispers, gaze dropping to his hands.

"Do you know what I liked about you?" Sebastian asks abruptly, and Blaine looks at him just for a second, intrigued. "I saw you in all those Warblers videos, and I just knew I had to meet you, I had a feeling, I thought that that boy, that king, that guy who owned the stage like it belonged to him, who was confident enough to serenade a guy in the middle of a GAP store without fear of rejection, could be my soulmate."

Blaine's eyes open wide, taken aback, and his lips part as to say something, but Sebastian continues.

"But then I met you, and the boy from the videos was gone. I was so angry... I thought I was angry at you, for changing before I could meet you, but after all this time I realize, I was angry at myself, because I had chosen a soulmate that was so out of my reach, that he didn't even exist anymore." Blaine says nothing, and keeps staring at him with wide eyes, so Sebastian continues. "Do you understand, Blaine? You see a person you like and call it your soulmate because that gives you some sense of ownership over them, but the truth is they're only people, and you will forget them, just like they'll forget you. The sooner you realize this, the easier it will be for you to move on."

Blaine has never looked at Sebastian like that, like he's understanding everything for the first time, like he's actually listened, like everything Sebastian said mattered enough to make him realize something important.

"Do I look as pathetic as I feel right now?"

"You've been looking that way for a while now. But hey..." Sebastian smiles slightly slides a glass towards Blaine. "I think there's still hope for you."

"I wish I could reboot my system." Blaine sighs and drinks half of the glass in one gulp.

Sebastian laughs.

"Well, we could arrange that..."

.

Sebastian's been gone for exactly four hours and three minutes. It's not like Hunter to count the minutes, but here he is, laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling and pretending that he doesn't care that Sebastian's been gone for four hours and four minutes.

There's a soft knock on the other side of the door, and he almost jumps off the bed before he realizes that Sebastian doesn't need to knock.

"Come in."

Nick appears at the doorway, hesitant and unsure, and Hunter has to motion for him to come inside and take a seat on the desk chair.

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I just...well, you see..." Nick shakes his head and sighs loudly, raising his eyes to meet Hunter's. "I wanted to see if you were ok, with me being captain of the Warblers and..."

He looks concerned, genuinely concerned, and Hunter feels a strange warmth spread through his chest at the thought that someone could care this much about the way he feels.

"I think you'll be an amazing captain, Nick."

The other boy smiles, wishful.

"You think? Really? I don't want to screw up, this is our last chance, and if we screw up..."

"You won't. You're the captain because the team believes in you, not because your name was first on the list."

Nick's smile grows, and his eyes brighten, and Hunter knows in that second that Nick will be the greatest captain of all.

"Where's Sebastian?" Nick asks abruptly.

"I don't know, haven't talked to him since Wednesday."

Nick seems suddenly uncomfortable, and drops his gaze to his hands as he speaks.

"You know, the smartest person I know told me once that you and Sebastian were like a current of water, I didn't understood at the moment, but I get it now, you two could move mountains, as long as you move in the same direction." He looks up at Hunter and smiles slightly. "I knew it the moment Sebastian told us to write a letter to the school board, so you wouldn't get expelled."

"It was Sebastian's idea." Hunter almost chokes.

Nick nods and stands up, heading to the door.

"I don't know what went wrong with the two of you, but for the sake of all of us, be the better man and fix it."

Hunter stands up, very straight, and smiles.

"Will do, Captain, my Captain."

Nick laughs, and shoots him the widest smile before turning to leave. Then he opens the door, and a drunken Sebastian stumbles inside and falls face first on the floor.


	4. You and me with no one else around

******Notes: **_I have no excuse, I'm so so sorry this is being updated so late. I'll keep trying to update sooner, promise! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/favourited and alerted, you guys rock, and your reviews help my muses to keep moving!_

* * *

******4. You and me with no one else around**

* * *

"This might not be the best moment to talk about it, but we need to talk about it some time."

Hunter places Sebastian on the bed with all the care he can manage, given that the other boy is a dead weight.

"I wish it was easier, for both of us, to say all this...this things we should say." He grabs a pillow and places it gently under Sebastian's head. "I wish we weren't so...you know, so like we are, too stubborn to make things work the right way." He walks to the bathroom and brings back a wet cloth to wipe the sweat from the other boy's forehead and neck. "I wish it was easier to tell you that I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it. You know that, right? Deep inside you have to know."

Hunter shakes his head and sighs, as he leaves the cloth on the nightstand and jumps into his own bed. Here he is trying to bare his soul to a passed out Sebastian, when he knows that not even a conscious Sebastian would understand what he's trying to say.

"I wish it was easier, too."

Hunter turns his head so fast that his neck stings painfully, and he sees Sebastian, laying on his side, staring at him through half lidded eyes.

"People usually mean them, those things, you know? I'm used to causing a lot more damage than I do good."

His voice is hoarse and his eyes are bloodshot and his hair's a mess, but Hunter finds a strange comfort in the fact that Sebastian trusts him enough to let him see him like this.

"I wanted it to happen...so badly, I didn't think it would..."

"The letter was your idea." Hunter cuts him off. "Why?"

Sebastian remains silent for a moment, and when he speaks, his voice comes out like the softest whisper Hunter's ever heard.

"Because I've never cared about anyone before, and I realized that I could not bare the thought of you not being the first person I see when I wake up." He looks away for a second. "I thought that maybe...maybe if I fought hard enough, I would get to keep you."

He goes silent then, and Hunter realizes that he is, really, drunk off his ass, because a sober Sebastian would never say something like that. He want's to say something, so at least drunk Sebastian would know, and sober Sebastian would maybe remember.

He looks back at the other boy only to see that he's sitting up on the bed, taking his short off sloppily, waving his arms in all directions.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asks, sitting up too and flinging his legs out of the bed.

"I'm hot. It's too hot." Sebastian throws his shirt to the floor and stands up on the bed, legs wobbling dangerously close to the edge, and starts to take off his jeans. "I, you see, Hunt, I'm a very good drunk, I never get really drunk, I can have conversations and all and, you see?" He takes off his jeans, fails at pulling his legs free and trips on the edge of the mattress.

Hunter leaps off the bed and lunges himself to Sebastian, catching him mid-air, and falling back on his bed on the process, with the other boy draped over him like a tangled, moving blanket.

Sebastian starts to laugh, he tries to stand up and pull Hunter up with him, but they end up tripping over each other and almost falling again.

"God, Seb, how much did you drink?"

Sebastian just laughs, and laughs, and wraps his arms around Hunter's neck with a smirk that's only Sebastian's, and whispers.

"Say, Hunt, can I keep you?"

..

In all the history of the Warblers, this is a situation that has never been seen. They've been holding auditions for the last two days, and not a single considerable option has showed up.

"Where are all the good singers in Dalton? Last year we had tons of guys waiting in line to join." Complains Flint, eyeing the inscription sheets with something close to disgust.

"Last year we weren't involved in a steroids scandal." Points out Thad "Or any scandal whatsoever."

They stay silent for a moment, staring at each other trying to find the right way to describe their current situation.

"This is bullshit." Deadpans Nick, finally, throwing all the inscription sheets to the air and watching them fall around him like paper rain. "The person we need is not here."

"What person do we need, exactly?" Asks Jeff, seated on the floor in front of Nick.

"The guy we need...he has to have charisma." Begins Nick "And he has to smile a lot."

"And he has to know how to move." Ads Thad, joining his teammates at the floor.

"And he has to have a very special voice." Says Flint, following Thad, until they're seated in circle.

"Well, that's good, not like you're describing Blaine or anything." Jeff rolls his eyes and start to pile all the papers in the centre of the circle "We need someone new, someone fresh, someone who has something that any of us have."

The three boys stare at him with raise eyebrows, and he finally sighs and shrugs.

"Sebastian took me to this place once..."

"You went out with Sebastian?" Asks Nick, dumbfounded.

"Alone?" Specifies Thad.

"I needed a night out and Sebastian offered, don't look at me like I joined the Devil for a party in hell, God, you're all so uptight."

They all stare at him again, eyes wide and speechless. Then Jeff starts to laugh, that laugh that only Jeff has that's able to light up a room, and make it look like a lighthouse even from the outside.

"The thing is. They had a stage and the waiters sometimes jump on it and sing, and they had a band, and the guy who plays the guitar sometimes sings, too, and he sang the night Sebastian and I were there, and he was...something else."

"Great, now you want us to make this kid join and trick everyone into making them believe he's from Dalton? We've turned into show choir delinquents." Flint shakes his head in mock despair,

Jeff throws him a glare.

"The guy IS from Dalton."

The thee boys stare at him wide eyed again, and Jeff can see there, for the first time in a long time, something that looks very much like hope.

..

There's a place at the outskirts of town, it's like a cabin made of wood, the windows are too dirty to let the light of the inside show, if there's any, and there are neon signs hanging on the front that are almost burned out.

"I don't really want to go in there." Flint admits, staring at the precarious state of the bar.

They all stay silent for a moment, unmoving.

"For fuck's sake, if Jeff and Sebastian wen't in there, it can't be that bad." Hunter starts to walk, and the others fall into step beside him.

"Where's Sebastian, by the way?" asks Nick.

Hunter rolls his eyes.

"Sleeping off what will be tomorrow a major hangover."

At the door, they show the fake id's Sebastian got for them a while ago, and even though none of the pictures look like them, the bouncer makes no move to stop them when they pass by.

Once they're inside, it's like they've fallen thought the rabbit hole. The band's playing a loud rockabilly song, and everyone's dancing, and they all dress like they've just been taken out from an Elvis movie.

There are girls dancing on the barstool, and people sitting at the wooden tables drinking beer and serving shots from small crystal jars.

"You boys are gonna have a drink, or y'all just gonna stay there gaping?"

The girl that approaches them is wearing tiny shorts and red cowboy boots and a white, ripped top with "The Road" written across the chest.

"Well, what's it gonna be?" She asks again, with a thick southern accent that definitely does not belong to Ohio.

"We'll have five beers and one jar of tequila, please."

The girl stares at Jeff and her smile widens, pretty green eyes sparkling with joy.

"I remember you, you're Seb's friend, right? Go one, take a seat, I'll bring your drinks right away."

She turns away and walks towards the bar, long blond hair bouncing from side to side as she moves.

"I think I've just fallen in love." Murmurs Thad, as they take a seat on a table close to the stage. "Where has she been hiding all my life?"

"Here, apparently." Hunter takes a look around he bar and fails to hide his disapproval "This people are out of control."

Jeff laughs and hits him softly on the shoulder.

"Come on, Hunter, let loose just this once, who knows, you might enjoy it."

The girl comes back with their drinks, and leaves a plate with lemon slices in the centre of the table.

"There you go. Ren's singing today, y'all enjoy the show okay? Let me know if you need anything."

"I need your number." Thad blurts out.

She stares at him taken aback for a moment, and then starts to laugh before walking away.

"Smooth, Thad." Laughs Nick.

Flint gives each of them a shot, and raises his just as the music starts to play again.

"To the Warblers."

"To the Warblers!"

And then, comes the voice, a deep, rough voice that fills the room and makes everyone jump into motion.

_" 'Been working, so hard. I'm punchin' my card. Eigh hours, for what? Oh, tell me what I got. I've got this feeling, that time's just holdin' me down, I'll hit the ceilin' or else I'll tear up this town...Tonight I gotta cut loose, footloose!"_

The Warblers watch, mouths agape, as the boy in the stage shimmers, he dances and moves and shines like he's made of bubbles, and all eyes are on him, even the people that are dancing, are somehow looking at him. He has this thing, this pull, something that the boys haven't seen since the first time Blaine Anderson jumped to sing on a table.

"I think we found him, guys." Says Nick, as he stands up, grabs Hunter by the hand, and drags him to the dance floor.


	5. Be still, I already know

**Notes: **_I have no excuse. But next chapter is almost ready, so I can promise at least that one will be up sooner. As always, thanks for the revierws, you make my day._

_I hope you like Ren, we'll be seeing a lot of him from now on. (and excuse my poor excuse of a southern accent, I promise to tune it down to the minimum next time.)_

_The song they sing is As she's walking away, from thr Zac Brown Band_

* * *

**5. Be still, I already know**

* * *

Nick sees it all in flashbacks. He sees a dark haired boy with no confidence and no drive jumping on a table, and turning the world into a huge cloud of shimmering lights for everyone who's watching.

He sees the broad smile, the gleaming in his eyes, he watches him grow until he's not a boy anymore, until he's so strong and so bright, that he's more like a God than a human.

Nick sees it all, like history repeating itself, it's like life's giving them back a part of what it took from them, so they can see that people like that can be found more than once, that a talent like that can happen twice.

The boy keeps singing and dancing, and the room keeps revolving around him, and the Warblers all move from side to side with the people on the dance floor as they learn how to line dance.

When the song is over, and the applauses and cheers have died, the boy jumps out of the stage and heads to the bar.

"Go follow him!" Thad urges, pushing Nick in the desired direction.

"Why do I have to go? I'm not good at talking to strangers!"

"Oh please, don't be a wuss." Hunter crosses his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow, trying to conceal his amusement.

Nick flashes him an angry glare.

"Where did all that _Captain, my captain_ crap go?"

"That's exactly the point, _Captain, my captain. _You're the only one who can do it."

Thad and Jeff share a look, and they both try their best not to burs out laughing.

"Okay, I'll go, but if I can't convince him, we're bringing in Sebastian."

"Our secret weapon!" Exclaims Jeff. "With the superpower to seduce a sugar cube into jumping inside a glass of lava."

Nick shakes his head and walks up to the guy who's chatting animatedly at the bar with the girl that greeted them.

"Hey! Did you enjoy the show?" The girl asks when he spots Nick walking towards them. "Ren, this is Sebastian's friend. Do you remember Sebastian? The guy I told you 'bout?"

Ren turns from the bar to look at Nick, beer bottle in one hand and the other in his pocket, and smiles. And he has that kind of smile that makes Nick realize that he'd trust him with his life, if it came to it someday.

"A' remember." He takes his hand out of his pocket, and tends it to Nick. "I'm Ren. Y'are?"

"I'm Nick, Nick Duval. We go to the same school."

Ren's smile widens.

"The Warblers, ain't it? You guys are amazing." He turns to the girl. "Molly, you gotta see them perform, they're somethin' else, swear to God."

"Why don't you guys show me?" Molly asks, smiling at Nick. "Call your friends over there and go on stage, pick a song, any song you want."

Nick throws a look at the expectant Warblers and then looks back at Molly and Ren.

"See, the thing is...we came here because Sebastian told us about Ren, and since we're one member short for Nationals, and we go to the same school, we thought that maybe you'd like to join the Warblers?"

Ren stares at them, eyes wide open, and then leaves his beer in the booth and starts to laugh.

"Y'all want me to join the Warblers?"

Nick nods, confused.

Ren looks at Molly, still laughing, but she shoots him a serious look, and frowns.

"Y' serious." Ren says, dumbfounded, as he looks back at Nick. "Y' really want me to join."

"Yeah, what you did up there was...it was something else. It's been a long time since I saw something that amazing."

Ren remains silent for a moment, eyes wandering around the room, then, when he looks back at Nick, they're sparkling with mischief, and his smile widens, and there's a hint of laughter in his voice when he speaks.

" 'Kay, Warblers." He says, in a voice loud enough that the other Warblers can hear him too, over the noises of the bar. "I'll join you, but you gotta show me what you're capable of fist."

Nick shoots a helpless look at the Warblers, and immediately Jeff runs to his aid, smiling brightly at Ren.

"Hi, I'm Jeff. You were awesome up there, really, but, you see...what you mean when you say show you, do you mean like, here, right now?"

"Right here, right now." Nods Ren.

"See...we don't really..." Starts Nick, but Hunter is at his side in an instant, cutting him off.

"Pick a song, right here, right now." Then, as if remembering something important, he extends his hand. "Hunter Clarington, by the way."

Looking at the other Warblers, Nick just knows that they're not ready. They haven't performed live, without rehearsing in what seems like forever, and he knows that their confidence is not what it used to be, but Hunter seems so sure, he doesn't even care that they will probably loose their only chance at getting Ren to join, and as a consequence, loose their only shot at regionals.

"As she's walking away, d'you know it?"

Hunter jumps on stage and smiles daringly.

"Let's see if you know it."

And Nick has a feeling that this is just the beginning of the most disastrous night of his life.

.

"Okay, my young, gelled Padawan, are you ready?"

"No. I mean, I don't think so. Is this really necessary?"

"Of course it is. Don't you ever watch movies? Do you ever read? This is the most interesting part, this is where everything begins."

"...I don't think I'm getting what you're trying to say."

"Gosh, Blaine! Could you be any more clueless?" Sebastian sighs and passes a hand through his hair.

Blaine stares at him, then at the guy behind the bar, and raises an eyebrow.

"Let's see." Sebastian starts again, straightening his back and leaning against the back of his chair. "This is the beginning of the night. There's that guy over there, and he's been looking at you, and he's thinking the same thing that I'm thinking, that being that this is the beginning of the night, and at the beginning of the night everything is possible."

Blaine nods slightly, taking the last gulp of his beer and eyeing Sebastian's already empty bottle.

"I really don't know, Sebastian. I'm not like you. And that guy, he's not looking at me, he's just trying to see if we've finished our drinks or..."

"Shut up, Anderson. Stop right there." Sebastian leans in closer to Blaine, almost bending over the table, and he looks at him, green eyes sparkling, smirk tugging at his lips. "I know what that guy is seeing. That guy is seeing your lips, how adorable they look when you purse them when you're confused, he's seeing your eyes, the way the light makes them seem almost golden, he's loving the way you steal shy glances at him, and he's thinking that yeah, maybe there's nothing there, but maybe, just maybe, there's a possibility. And because this is the beginning of the night, everything is possible."

Blaine stares, speechless, as something in Sebastian's eyes changes, and he can almost see it there, the look of adoration he was so used to, that smile that's almost a promise, that was once reserved just for him. It's not like the looks Kurt used to give him, full of blind love and clouded by admiration, it's the kind of smile one has when they look at something they want with such desperation that looking at it hurts so badly, that they have to smile not to cry.

"You used to look at me like that." He whispers suddenly, without really thinking. "Like I was the beginning of the night."

"Well, you were the beginning of the night, killer. Just not mine."

"I was Kurt's?"

Sebastian frowns, then laughs, and shakes his head.

"Kurt and you, you were like the morning after, when all the fun has already passed, and you wake up without really remembering what happened, but with that feeling of fondness that comes when you kiss a puppy or pet a cat." He smiles slightly, and his gaze softens. "You're not the morning after, Blaine, not Kurt's and not anyone's. You're the beginning of the night. That's what I saw, and that's what I still see."

Blaine will swear, at this very moment, that he has never, and will probably never again feel for anyone as much gratitude as he's feeling for Sebastian now.

"Why are you doing this, Sebastian?" He asks, unsure.

"Well, I've been bad long enough, I guess I'm growing old." His eyes darken for a moment, but before Blaine can say anything, he's all smirks and winks again. "Now go, killer. I plan on making you get us drinks until you come back with a phone number, or a used condom, whatever comes first."

"Then we're going to get a whole lot of drinks..." Blaine mutters.

He stands up in wobbling legs, and as he walks up to the booth, eyes darting from the bartender who keeps eyeing him to Sebastian, who winks at him and nods, he feels something building up in his stomach, and expanding until it reaches his arms and legs and chest. It takes him just a minute to realize that it's strength, a kind of strength he didn't have, and he finds himself back at the doors of Dalton, feeling small and hopeless and scared of everything.

Then he looks back at Sebastian, and he sees that smile, and he sees the Warblers looking at him, and he remembers.

And there, at that bar, at the beginning of the night, he remembers what being Blaine Warbler meant. And for the first time in a long time, he's fearless.

..

Thad can't really believe what he's seeing, what he's listening. They're in the middle of the stage and they're dancing, and he's not thinking about what he has to do or what he has to say, or if he's getting the lyrics right. He just looks at Ren, the way he moves like he doesn't care about what he's doing or how he's moving, like the only thing he cares about is that he's having fun.

They're all having fun, really, Thad realizes, even Hunter seems to loosen up with every step, and it's all so familiar, that it makes something inside of him twist painfully until the music, and the laughter, and the present, become so much more powerful.

_ "Wise man next to me did say 'bout the one that got away: Son, I missed my chance..."_

_I missed my chance, I missed my chance..._

Ren circles Hunter as he sings, and he smiles, and Hunter realizes that even though the words have pierced him like daggers, the other boy has no idea of what he's done, of what those words meant, but he sees it like a flash in his head; the rest of his life wondering what happened to that green eyed boy who brought down all his walls and fought his wars without hesitating._ What a miserable life that would be_, he thinks.

_"Don't you let regret take place__of the dreams you have to chase, ask her to dance...go on, son. You might fall down on your face, roll the dice and have some faith."_

Something inside Hunter's chest starts to ache, and for a second, he thinks that he's having a heart attack, only he knows that he's not, and that maybe, in the future, when the world is ready, the ache will stop, if he takes his chances and makes the right choice now. He stops dancing, because his legs can barely support him anymore, and he's thankful that the song is already almost over. It's like a dense fog was clouding his mind, with him not even knowing, and is now suddenly gone, leaving everything clear for the first time.

_I missed my chance..._

That's not going to be him.

He's seen it, at military school, kids who've let every chance pass and turned to perfectly oiled machines, with no drive and no choice, who will grow up to be effective and successful but utterly miserable. He wonders what would those men think, about the chances they let pass, about the ones that got away, and he feels sad for them.

That's not going to be him.

"Hunter, hey, Hunter! Are you here, man?"

He shakes his head and snaps out of his daydream, taring at Jeff, who's beaming at him.

"That was AH-MAZING." He exclaims, gaze traveling to one Warbler to another, then to Ren. "What do you have to say now, huh?" He asks, full of a confidence that surprises Hunter.

Ren remains silent, then bursts out laughing, smile wide and eyes sparkling with a joy that is contagious.

"Okay, y'win." He says, raising his arms in mock surrender. "That was awesome."

"We make a good team." Thad says, giving Ren a reassuring smile. "Don't we?"

Ren stops laughing, and nods, but looks away almost sad.

"Ah' didn't think you were that good. A'm sorry, but I really can't join."

The front door opens then, and two boys come in, laughing so hard they almost drown the sound of Ren's words, and the Warblers turn to look, and there they are, Blaine and Sebastian, arms slung over each other's shoulders, laughing their heart's out.

Sebastian looks up for a second, and somehow, from opposite corners of the crowded bar, his eyes find Hunter's.

_Go on, boy..._

Hunter sees the miserable life he could live, vanish in an instant.


	6. Be still, I already know Part 2

**Notes: **_Your reviews give me life. You are all awesome._

* * *

**6. Be still, I already know. Part 2**

* * *

It stings. It drives through his chest and into his heart, and the blood splashes against his lungs and he finds himself, for a second, unable to breathe.

He has never felt anything like this before.

Sebastian is smiling. No, not smiling, he's laughing. His eyes are sparkling, the most beautiful shade of green, and the freckles on his nose are dancing, and his lips are curved in the most delicious kind of joyful grin.

And it's all because of the boy standing next to him.

Hunter spins around, walks past the Warblers, who keep arguing with Ren about all the reasons why he should join, and almost stumbles down the stairs on his way to de door. He walks blindly through the mass of dancing bodies, keeping a straight line and pushing aside anyone who dares stand in his way.

And then it's Sebastian who's standing before him, blocking his path, eyes wide and mouth slightly open and a thousand unsaid words hanging from his lips.

"Hunt..."

"You seem to be having fun." Hunter cuts him off, voice flat and monotone.

Something flashes across Sebastian's eyes, something like hurt, and anger, and frustration, and a whole lot of things Hunter has no patience to even try to read.

"I am, actually. Blaine here is a surprisingly fun partner in crime."

Hunter's eyes land on Blaine, and he sees that the other boy is watching him, big, puppy eyes boring into him filled with pain and regret, and for the first time Hunter's completely aware of each one of the little marks that are still scattered across his face; the black eye that's still not completely healed, the small, vertical cut that now scars his lower lip, the slightly green, swollen cheekbone...

"Don't you dare pity me." He barks, voice low and full of venom, as he walks past them and out of the bar.

Sebastian stares at Hunter's back as he retreats, and his chest tightens to the point where breathing becomes almost hurtful, and the air burns all the way from his nose to his lungs.

"You haven't talked to him." Blaine whispers, next to him.

"I've talked too much." Sebastian scoffs.

Blaine looks at him and smiles, a sad, hopeful smile that Sebastian has never seen directed to him.

"He looked at you that way, you know? Like you were his beginning of the night."

Sebastian sighs, and realizes that he already knows.

The Warblers spot them when they've almost reached the bar, and he finds himself suddenly surrounded by laughing boys in the middle of what seems to be a wave of sugar rush.

"God Seb you should have seen it!" Screams Jeff, launching himself to him and bursting with laughter. "We were amazing, we were, we were...we are SO back!."

Thad appears beside him, laughing, and Sebastian can see that something has changed, it's clear in their eyes, and in the way they move, and in the way they hold their heads, even in they way they speak. Something is so undeniably different, that he can't help but wonder what happened, that kind of thing could change so may people in such a little time.

"Sebastian!" A girl calls for him from behind the bar. "What took you so long, sugar?"

He untangles himself from Jeff and turns to Molly, who's already serving him a shot of tequila.

"Your friends here sung with Ren, you missed it, it was pure magic, swear to God."

Sebastian has seen Ren sing before, so he knows, and now he understands.

"I can imagine." He says, as he approaches the bar, only to realize that Blaine isn't following. "You coming, killer?" He asks, turning to look at him, but Blaine is standing in the middle of the bar, looking scared and helpless.

Sebastian walks up to him, tries to follow his eyes, and realizes that Blaine is staring at the Warblers, his eyes travel from Nick to Jeff to Thad like he's going to burst int flames if they see him.

"They don't blame you, Anderson." Sebastian whispers.

Blaine nods, but he doesn't look convinced.

Then Thad turns to them, and freezes, then Jeff, then Nick, who's leaving the stage, and Blaine is confronted with the part of him he left behind.

Sebastian takes a step back, and walks to the bar, knowing fully well that this could be the most important moment in Blaine's road to recovery.

When Blaine left the Warblers Nick was pissed, just like the rest of them, and maybe a little more, because he was there when Blaine was just a scared, trembling mess, because he was the one who took his hand and led him to the rehearsal room for the first time, because he was there trough every nightmare and every afternoon spent hiding in the bathroom, so yeah, he was pissed, he was hurt, and he felt betrayed. But now, looking at him, he sees that same boy, he sees that same sad eyes and trembling hands, and scared look, and the only thing he feels, is anger, but not against Blaine. He walks down the steps of the stage and crosses the bar towards Blaine, and realizes that he's angry at whoever did this to him, at whoever took everything they had patched up with so much care, and broke it again.

He stands in front of the boy he knows he should blame, because he has so many things to blame him for, but Blaine is looking at him with the saddest eyes, and Nick is already way past blaming him. So he grabs him by the shoulders, pulls him to him, and gives him a hug.

Blaine hugs back almost instantly, grasping the back of Nick's shirt until his knuckles go white, and he realizes for the first time just how tired he is of feeling guilty all the time.

"I'm so sorry." He whispers. "I missed you so much."

And Nick only hugs him tighter and whispers.

"We were always here."

.

Sebastian knows nothing about love, or friendship, or loyalty. He's never understood the looks, or the smiles, or the need to belong. He's always bee happy being alone, he's never needed anyone.

But suddenly, staring at the three Warblers surround Blaine, watching their smiles, their unadulterated joy, he realizes that he does understand, that he doesn't need to be alone, he doesn't want to, and even if he did, he doesn't have a choice.

He's stuck with this guys wether he likes it or not. He decides with a pride he's never felt before, that things could be worse.

"You see that?" He says to Molly, as he drowns his shot of tequila. "Those guys are my friends, who would have thought."

"Maybe you deserve them." She says, with a laugh.

"Maybe."

Molly laughs, gestures to a guy that's approaching them, and serves two more shot glasses.

"That's the guy who made the miracle happen."

Sebastian turns to his side, and it's faced with the smiling face of the boy he's only seen before on stage.

"So you're Ren." He says, lifting a shot glass. "Kudos to you, you seem to have made an impression."

Ren laughs, takes his shot of tequila, and clinks it against Sebastian's.

"They're awesome, your friends."

"Join us then." Sebastian offers, drowning his shot. "We're Dalton royalty, you should be honored."

Ren takes a deep breath and passes a hand through his hair.

"I'm a Texas boy." He sighs. "Singin' country is in my blood, but show choir?" He shakes his head and smiles sadly. "Texas guys don't do show choir."

Sebastian remembers Hunter sitting on the floor, empty vodka bottle in hand, face all purple and bloodied, and soft, sad whisper.

_"I'm a military kid, Seb, there's things we're just not allowed to do. Things we're not allowed to be. And that's the way it is."_

And Sebastian understands. At that very second, he understands everything.

"Look, Ren. There's something very important I need to do right now, but I'll tell you this." He shots him his best Smythe smirk. "Come to the auditorium on Monday afternoon, at five, and I'll show you that what we're offering is so much more than just show choir."

.

He throws books, knocks over desks, crashes his lamp against the wall, and maybe breaks Sebastian's, too, he's not really counting, he's not really paying attention, he's just breaking things, like he's always done when he's angry. He's used to this, he should be, he's used to being angry, he's used to the range that burns and freezes his insides until he's scalding, and he sees nothing, and he feels nothing but rage.

Then the door opens, and there's Sebastian standing there, looking at him, and Hunter stops, breathing hard, almost out of air, vision blurred, hands shaking.

"I understand." Sebastian says, looking at him, really looking at him. "I understand. I didn't, but I do now. You...you don't need to say anything, it's ok, everything is ok, we'll work it out."

Sebastian's eyes are so green, so green, and for a second, it's the only thing Hunter sees, and the only thing he cares about.

"How can you understand?" He murmurs, taking a step towards the other boy. "How can you possibly know? You don't care! You don't give a fuck!"

Sebastian is silent for a second, then walks up to Hunter and pushes him roughly against the wall.

"I-fucking-care." He hisses. "There's no other in the world who cares more than I do." His eyes soften, his lips start to tremble, and he leans his forehead against Hunter's as softly as he can. "I care so much, it's killing me."

And then they're kissing, rough and hard and hot, mouths fighting to say with bites what they cannot say with words.

Hunter pushes him back and switches their positions, until it's Sebastian's the one pinned against the wall, and Hunter's all over him, hands gripping his hips and pelvis pressed flush against his, moving slowly as they create the most perfect friction.

They move against each other, mouths everywhere, hands everywhere, until they fall to the bed in a tangle of arms and limbs and demanding lips.

Sebastian gives in, lets Hunter take control, moves when the other boy moves, and pushes when the other boy pushes, but his moves are firm and steady, hurried, but with no rush. He's ready to let his body speak for him, for his lips and his arms find all the words he doesn't have, and maybe, just maybe, he hopes that Hunter will understand.

"I know." Hunter whispers, hot breath caressing Sebastian's earlobe. "I already know."

Hunter grabs his face then, so very softly, and Sebastian can sense all the strength he's holding back, and he can see it in his eyes, all those words neither of them has ever learned, but they don't really need them.

They're not people of words, they're people of action, but at this very moment, they both stand very still, tangled in each other, breathing each other's air, listening to each other's silence.

"It's killing me, too." Hunter whispers. "But you stop me from dying."

And then they're kissing again.


	7. The boys of Fall

Notes: THANK YOU for all the reviews, follows, and favourites. You ar amazing, there's nothing more I can say.

Also, I hope you remember the moment to wich Hunter will make reference later on, something about a dance ;)

The song is The boys of Fall by Kenny Chesney, I just think it really suits the Warblersl.

* * *

**7. The boys of fall**

* * *

_They didn't let just anybody in that club_

_Took every ounce of heart and sweat and blood_

Maybe this is not the place Blaine would have chosen to be on a Friday night. Maybe he doesn't enjoy the beer or the loud music or all the people dancing like it's the last night of their lives, but maybe he does. Maybe this is what he's wanted all along, having fun and letting go. Maybe he's not made to mope around and cry in corners and feel sorry for himself, maybe he's not made to be that guy who's never good enough, maybe he's not made to be just the other half of someone else, instead of the whole two halves of his whole self. Maybe he's made to be someone's beginning of the night, not their morning after.

And this is what he's thinking about, while he sits on a table with Nick, Jeff and Thad, silently, just taking in the sight of the three boys laughing and joking and not giving a dam about the fact that it's been more than a year since the last time they were like this. Maybe this is how it's supposed to be with people, maybe you just have to forgive and move on, and everyone else will do the same with you.

"You should have seen Sebastian." Jeff is saying, between laughs. "He was so nervous, he almost tripped over himself."

"He spent the rest of rehearsal pouting!"

And they all laugh, and Blaine just stares at them, and he can't stop his lips from curving upwards.

"What's with you?" Asks Thad, elbowing slightly in the ribs to get his attention. "You're awfully quiet."

"I'm just remembering how much I liked to listen to you guys talking."

"You'll have to come visit more often, then, we talk a lot." Nick says.

Blaine stays silent for a second, but realizes that if he doesn't say it now, he probably never will, and it will haunt him forever.

"I don't know how we ended up in the same bar at the same time, the same night." He begins. "But I think it might be a sign."

"A sign of Sebastian liking only two bars in all Westerville?"

"A sign for me...for us." He looks around, nervous, and when he manages to bring his eyes back up, and look at them, they're all smiling. "You're not mad at me." It's a statement, not a question. "You don't blame me."

Jeff laughs, takes a sip of his beer and looks at him, and it shocks Blaine, like it used to shock him every time, how transparent Jeff's eyes are.

"We all mess up sometimes, Blaine. There's nothing to blame you for."

"You'll always be one of us, Blainers." Ads Thad. "We don't get mad at our people."

_This is how belonging feels like._ Blaine thinks. _I almost forgot._

_.._

The first thing he sees when he opens his eyes are Hunter's.

His breathing catches in his throat, his mouth goes dry, something flutters in his stomach, and he's completely unable of looking away.

_This must be how it feels like._ He thinks. _This must be how it feels like to belong._

"Morning." Hunter's voice is hoarse and deep, and it sends shivers down Sebastian's spine.

"Morning." He whispers back, afraid that if he speaks just a little bit louder, he might wake up, or Hunter might wake up, and this would all end up being a dream.

They stay silent, staring at each other, like they're both scared of looking away.

Hunter shifts a little, and Sebastian instantly tenses, scared, but the other boy only moves closer, pressing his palm flat on the curve of his abdomen. It's not tender, and he makes no move to bring him close, but his hand is firm and steady, and the whole gesture has an air of possessiveness that makes Sebastian relax instantly.

"We might burn in hell." Hunter whispers.

"You're too smart to say shit like that."

Hunter smiles and shakes his head.

"That's how they raised me."

Sebastian wishes it was easier, but he knows it'll never be like that with them.

"Give me one reason to not give up, and I promise I won't."

Hunter's fingers press a little harder, and he leans forward until their lips are almost brushing, and they stay there, exchanging breaths, and then Hunter kisses him, soft and slow, and his eyelashes flutter against Sebastian's skin, tracing invisible patterns, and leaving a hundred invisible little scars.

"Dance with me, Seb." He whispers, and he hopes Sebastian doesn't hear the utter desperation in his voice.

Sebastian's lips break into a grin, green eyes sparkling like a thousand little champagne bubbles.

"I thought you'd never as, Clarington."

..

Sebastian calls an emergency Warbler meeting Sunday at 11 am.

They all look bad, most of them look hungover, but Sebastian is smiling so hard, his lips are about to reach his ears. This is the first time that it's not him the one who looks like he hasn't slept in weeks.

"Okay." He begins, walking from one Warbler to another and giving them each a sheet of paper. "This is how we're going to win Nationals."

"Uh...Sebastian,..what is this?" asks Thad, staring at the piece of paper in his hand with a raised eyebrow.

Sebastian jumps on the back of one of the velvet sofas.

"This is how we're going to make Ren understand everything, and join us."

"Understand everything?" Laughs Jeremy, a freshman with little talent but great enthusiasm.

"Understand everything." Sebastian repeats. "Since your captain here failed to impress our new potential recruit, we'll have to resort to drastic measures."

Nick crosses his arms over his chest.

"And you consider this drastic measures?"

Sebastian smiles, and Nick realizes for the first time just how old he seemed before, and how young he seems now, and it scares him a little, to imagine what kind of life had Sebastian lived before he came to Dalton. He finds himself imagining all the possible things that might have happened to make Sebastian smile like that.

"Be thankful, my Captain, that I'm not blackmailing him, or something worse."

Nick shrugs and laughs.

"Good enough for me."

"Does anyone has anything to say about my song choice?" Asks Sebastian, looking at the rest of the Warblers.

Nick notices, almost instantly, that Sebastian's truly just looking at one person.

"Not bad, Smythe." Hunter nods.

Nick looks from Hunter to Sebastian, and then to Jeff, who's looking at them, too, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, and then he looks at Nick, and he raises his eyebrows, and his lips move exaggeratedly, silently saying something Nick can't quite understand, but they keep alternating between looking at Hunter, and then at Sebastian, and then back at each other, and the whole thing doesn't really make any sense.

Nobody says anything about Sebastian's choice of song, because really, Sebastian might me a scheming bastard, but when he has a good idea, it usually is a really good idea.

..

When Ren walks into the rehearsal room, the Warblers are waiting for him; Hunter's sitting on a chair at the corner of the room, a fluffy white cat in his lap. Sebastian's seated in the arm chair, absentmindedly running his fingers through the cat's silky hair. Jeff's sitting at the piano next to the French windows. Nick's sitting on the back of the sofa, surrounded by other kids, some of whom Ren's seen around the school, some of whom he's never seen before.

"You ready to join us?" Sebastian asks, smiling at him like he knows he'll say yes.

"That's all you got?" Ren retorts, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You said." Sebastian begins. "That you don't do show choir, but you do country. You do football, and team play, and brothers in arms and all that crap you country people do, am I wrong?"

Ren shakes his head, suddenly intrigued.

"Well, we're going to show you that we can do all that, and if after you still don't want to join us, then I'll just have to think of a way to bribe you."

"Go ahead." Ren says, staring at all those preppy kids, with their lives all mapped out for them, and he just knows that they're not capable of doing what Sebastian says they'll do. He knows that all they do is talk, but they understand nothing.

The first notes of the piano rises and fills the room, and the Warblers begin to harmonize like only he Warblers know how, and then Nick starts to sing, and his voice is deeper and softer than Ren remembers.

_"When I feel that chill, smell that fresh cut grass, I'm back in my helmet, cleats, and shoulderpads. Standin' in the huddle, listenin' to the call, fans goin' crazy for the boys of fall."_

Sebastian stands, walking up to Ren, smile never leaving his lips, as he sings with the huskiest of whispers.

_ "They didn't let just anybody in that club, __took every ounce of heart and sweat and blood, to get to wear those game-day jerseys down the hall. Kings of the school, man, we're the boys of fall."_

And they all do look like kings.

"_Well, it's turn and face the Stars and Stripes, it's fighting back them butterflies_." Hunter's deep voice rises above the others in perfect harmony. "_It's calling in the air, "Alright, yes sir, we want the ball" And it's knockin' heads and talkin' trash, it's slinging mud and dirt and grass. It's I got your number, I got your back when your back's against the wall._"

Ren takes a step backwards as all the voices rise together, like just one person with ten different voices, all in one.

_"You mess with one man, you got us all. We're the boys of fall."_

Ren's surprised at how much they can show him, with just one song, and how much he can understand by just listenind to their voices melt into each other, as they form the perfect sounds.

"_It's I got your number, I got your back when your back's against the wall. You mess with one man, you got us all. We're the boys of fall._"

He understands. He has no idea how this happened, but he understands. And he wishes he could just give in, he wishes it was easier, but it's not.

And not even the Warblers could change that.


End file.
